Hempfield lawmaker's bill targets Pitt, Penn State funding

Tuition funding for Pennsylvania students could be turned on its head in the coming years.

On Wednesday, State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, introduced a bill that aims to redirect funds from Pitt, Penn State and Temple University to in-state students at all universities, private colleges, community colleges and technical schools in Pennsylvania.

Nelson said his proposed college voucher program would “empower” students who don’t wish to attend the big three of state-related universities.

“It’s a large chunk of money that is only going to our three wealthiest universities,” Nelson told the Tribune-Review in May. “It’s time for a change.”

For nearly 60 years, Pennsylvania has distributed funds through nonpreferred appropriation bills to Pitt, Penn State and Temple, which then use this money to provide tuition discounts to in-state students.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 state budget proposal suggests giving more than $580 million to these schools in the upcoming academic year.

Nelson wants to see this money in the hands of all in-state students.

His voucher program would redirect these funds to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, which would distribute it to full-time, in-state students at all post-secondary education schools. If the program comes to fruition, students whose household income is under $100,000 would receive up to $8,000 each year, and students whose household income is between $100,000 and $250,000 would receive up to $4,000 every year, Nelson says.

A release from Nelson’s office says the bill likely will be referred to the House Education Committee for consideration.

Nelson has received significant pushback on the proposal from Pitt. Some House Republicans aim to redirect Pitt’s funding as early as this year because of the university’s fetal tissue research.

If Republicans have enough votes to withhold funding, Nelson has said this money would go to PHEAA, which he said would then distribute it to in-state Pitt students.

Pitt’s appropriation bill requires support from two-thirds of the General Assembly. The Legislature must adopt the 2022-23 state budget by June 30.